Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips A phrase I often heard from my superiors, what “no surprises” really means. I don’t know how many times I heard it uttered in angst, “No surprises, no surprises, no surprises.” That is what my superiors constantly told me and my colleagues. This was one of those things that everyone acted like […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Take care when choosing an example for teaching. Often what seem to be great examples are terrible in that people concentrate on the unintended. I have taken a lot of courses related to project management. I have taught a few. I have read a lot of books on project management, and, as […]

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by Dwayne Phillips All magazines are thinner than they used to be – not so. Somehow, the IEEE keeps its magazines thick. I have been an IEEE Computer Society member for 30 years (yes, I am that old). Computer is the lead publication of that group. The monthly magazine is still 136 pages long. That […]

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by Dwayne Phillips In addition to the planner’s basics, talk directly to the right people in a frank manner. Years ago, I worked with a company VP who had success on the vast majority of his projects. His “secret” was: Plan your work (in detail) Work your plan (track progress in detail) Okay, big deal. […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Disagreements often fall under the cliche, “we are in violent agreement.” Go past the quick decision and converse with the other person. Joe: I disagree with you. Moe: Really? Joe: Yes. Moe: Are you sure? Joe: Yes Moe: Let’s step through this to ensure that we disagree. Joe: ? Moe: Let me […]

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by Dwayne Phillips People used to use the phrase “reverse psychology” more than they do now. I suppose I act out reverse psychology a lot these days. I don’t, however, of it in those terms. I think of my actions in vastly different terms. People used to say the phrase that sits atop this post. […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Stay connected to the people who work with you. It is that simple. There is a phrase that was kicked around a lot a few years back in the software field. The phrase was about going dark. That phrase meant that a programmer would stop talking to everyone else. You didn’t know […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Policy statements can be the most useful things that managers can produce. They help persons make decisions daily. Yes, managers can, and sometimes do, contribute to work. One of the more useful contributions they make is policy. Let’s define terms: Policy statements articulate broad direction for an organization. For example, Write code […]

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By Dwayne Phillips I am unable to say, “You implied such-and-such.” I know it is a small distinction that difference between imply and infer, but it bothers me. I continue to stumble upon these two words: imply and infer. I her people say, “You implied such-and-such.” Since this is my blog, I can rant to […]

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by Dwayne Phillips Should we send our customers to a veterinarian, i.e., someone who is accustomed to working with beings that cannot speak? First, a story: My granddad was a stubborn man. My granddad was ill and went to a doctor, an MD. My granddad was paying the MD a lot of money, so he […]

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